External HDD Instalation Ubuntu 14.04

[rickm1945]

I have a Toshiba 160GB External USB HD that has been formatted. I have Windows 7 on my Desktop and in My Computer it shows My Toshiba USB HDD as a Primary Drive. Can I install Ubuntu 14.04 on that drive and boot from it into Ubuntu? If I can how do I install? Thank you in advance for any help.

[Bashing-om]

rickm1945; Hi ! We can do this !

Sure you can install ubuntu onto that external hard drive.
Just be careful where the installer is going to install grub ( GRand Unified Bootloader ).

To be sure that we are all on the same page, show us the current hard disk situation(s), to preclude any errors.
From the liveUSB booted to the desktop; key combo ctl+alt+t yields a terminal interface to the operating system.
In this terminal execute the terminal commands:

sudo fdisk -lu
sudo parted -l
sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
sudo parted /dev/sdb unit s print

and post that output - between code tags - back to us.
code tag tutorial:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...8#post12776168

And precise guidance can be provided. It is but a matter of installing (Windows involved) in the proper mode and in the proper place,

ain't nothing

but a thing

[rickm1945]

I don't have Ubuntu Installed. I Have US Ease Partition Master Pro. It showed drive C, and USB drives as both being primary drive.

[Bashing-om]

rickm1945; Wow

From this:

Can I install Ubuntu 14.04 on that drive and boot from it into Ubuntu?

I had "assumed" that you had an install medium.

Download the .iso file and burn to DVD. and in the liveDVD environment run the requested commands.

Me ->

I be only linux literate

[rickm1945]

This is what the commands returned.

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo fdisk -lu

Disk /dev/sda: 1000.2 GB, 1000204886016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 121601 cylinders, total 1953525168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x8a427ea7

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 63 80324 40131 de Dell Utility
/dev/sda2 * 81920 24743935 12331008 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
/dev/sda3 24743936 1953519615 964387840 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT

Disk /dev/sdf: 160.0 GB, 160041885696 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 19457 cylinders, total 312581808 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x307e65d4

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdf1 * 63 312576704 156288321 7 HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted -l
Model: ATA WDC WD1001FAES-7 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1000GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 41.1MB 41.1MB primary fat16 diag
2 41.9MB 12.7GB 12.6GB primary ntfs boot
3 12.7GB 1000GB 988GB primary ntfs


Model: TOSHIBA MK1652GSX (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdf: 160GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 32.3kB 160GB 160GB primary ntfs boot


Warning: Unable to open /dev/sr0 read-write (Read-only file system). /dev/sr0
has been opened read-only.
Error: Can't have a partition outside the disk!

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted /dev/sda unit s print
Model: ATA WDC WD1001FAES-7 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 1953525168s
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos

Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 63s 80324s 80262s primary fat16 diag
2 81920s 24743935s 24662016s primary ntfs boot
3 24743936s 1953519615s 1928775680s primary ntfs

ubuntu@ubuntu:~$ sudo parted /dev/sdb unit s print
Error: Error opening /dev/sdb: No medium found
Retry/Cancel? retry
Error: Error opening /dev/sdb: No medium found
Retry/Cancel?

[Bashing-om]

rickm1945; Top-a the morning to you;

OK, looking good.

Should be no problem to install to "sdf" (!!). Why the drive is seen as 'sdf' I can not say, as I had expected it to be 'sdb'. Must be in relation to the usb port you have connected the external drive to.
The good thing is that it is recognized, -> partition table (msdos) is known, and file system is detected. There should exist no problem to install ubuntu onto that drive. There is now the decision as to how you want to install. As a standard default or "something else".

Disk /dev/sdf: 160GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
1 32.3kB 160GB 160GB primary ntfs boot

The easy thing to get ya installed, up and going is to do the standard install:
Boot the liveDVD play with the operating system to see if there "might" exist any difficulties or hardware problems, All is good ! Install !
I do endorse the standard install for the less knowledgeable. It is simple, straight forward, over and done.
In the liveDVD activate a terminal once more and MAKE sure the drive remains as recognized "sdf",, it could have mounted with a differing indentification.
check ! Terminal code:

sudo fdisk -lu

Click on the desktop's "install ubuntu" icon to start the installer.
Choose the option " erase disk and install ubuntu". The installer will do just that - wipe the disk - Save any data that may be on the hard drive at this time, any data is going to be history .The install wizard then takes care of everything, setting up the formatting and the partitioning; giving you the "root" partition, and an extended partition and in this extended partition the logical swap partition, easy peasy.
Point the installer to the drive that 'fdisk' shows as the 160 Gig drive (in this particular situation referred to as 'sdf').
I suggest NOT to check the boxes "install updates" or "install 3rd party software". The install will go much faster, and we have greater control if these actions are taken after the install is completed.
In the install process at the bottom of the install screen will be a popup of where grub is going to be installed -> make sure that 'sdf' and I do mean only the hard drive NOT a partition is selected. Installing grub to 'sdf' - as the drive 'fdisk' indicates - insures that the Windows' boot code on 'sda' remains untouched and permits you to boot Windows from your bios as a stand alone operating system. Installing grub to 'sdf' and setting bios priority to boot the external drive will give you the option to boot either ubuntu or windows - chainloading Windows onto grub's boot menu- ( by the time we are done with all the install).
Answer the few questions the install wizard asks -> identify keyboard, location, and account info and let the install complete, remove the disk -> reboot into the new install - bios set to boot the external drive.

Now booted into the install, let's complete the installation.
From the desktop key combo ctl+alt+t for a terminal:
Terminal codes:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras ##if you want the non-free software ( codecs, flash, fonts and so on )
sudo update-grub ##will pick up Windows and add the entry to the boot menu.

Done ! You now have a true dual boot operating system.

ain't no step for a stepper

[oldfred]

All the auto install options, install grub2's boot loader to sda. That is easily fixed with Boot-Repair as you want the Windows boot loader in the MBR of sda and grub in the MBR of the external.

The only way you can get the option on where to install grub2's boot loader is with Something Else or manual install. And then it is not as easy as you have to know and understand the partitions you need or want. Minimum is / (root) formatted ext4 of at least 10GB (20GB better) and swap of 2GB. A separate /home for your user settings and user data is suggested but not required. It should be larger than / but depends on how much data you may eventually want to save or if you are always saving data into your NTFS partition(s).

Install to external drive. Also any second drive.
Also shows combo box with location of grub2 boot loader
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Grub2/Installing
And you want this screen to choose where to install the grub2 boot loader which is only available with Something Else or manual install
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Gr...ing_Else.22.29:
Installer version has not changed much so still a good guide except I do not recommend the separate /boot for most systems. Older systems may need it. And some with very large / (root) partitions. BIOS/MBR not for UEFI
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/07/23...2-hard-drives/

[Bashing-om]

@ oldfred, Thanks as always.

Not that I would dare disagree with you.
But,
I just recently did a (re-)install of release 12.04.1 standard desktop, erase disk and install. The option of where to install grub was indeed present as I did change the default from 'sda' to where I needed it, to 'sdc'.

Just for an update.

my memory serves me right

[rickm1945]

I tried to install like you said first and now the 160GB doesn't show in MY Computer. I can not access the USB drive at all. The install went through. I can't access the drive now, if I could I would format and start over.

[oldfred]

Windows will not show Linux partitions, so that is normal.
Did you install to entire drive or shrink the NTFS partition?

May be best to see all the details.
Run the BootInfo report and post link.
Boot Repair -Also handles LVM, GPT, separate /boot and UEFI dual boot.:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Boot-Repair

@bashing-om
Not sure I have ever done an auto-install as I always create partitions in advance with gparted.
Where on install screen did the grub choice appear? A screen shot would be really good as then we could tell users exactly how to do it.